Chapter Summaries

After escaping the clearing, Xia Nan found himself in a deserted, memory-shaped version of River Valley Town, where he searched for a way out. He realized the place resembled the Snake Cave Secret Realm and suspected it had a core object, just as a strange sound came from the end of the street.

• The blond elf recovered from his injuries by absorbing Barker’s remains and vanished into the night.
• Xia Nan abruptly returned to the Fairy Wind General Store in River Valley Town after the elf, moonlight, and clearing disappeared.
• He explored the empty town and found the White Tit Tavern and Adventurers Association deserted, with signs suggesting the town had stopped on the day he left.
• Xia Nan discovered that unfamiliar places and the upper floor of the Association were covered in black shadow, and a Healing Potion had no effect.
• He concluded that the realm was shaped by his own memories and suspected it contained a core object like the one in the Snake Cave Secret Realm.
• Xia Nan heard a strange sound from the end of the street.

Xia Nan explored an illusory River Valley Town and climbed a floating ladder, which led him through a sculptor’s workshop to an attic where he saw someone carving a [Ram Deer Figurine]. After enduring a mind-shattering encounter, he returned to the slums with new attributes and the feat [Gaze into the Abyss] unlocked, then looked up at the moon.

• Xia Nan followed a strange clattering sound to a ladder floating above River Valley Town’s Central Plaza, but searched the town before returning to it.
• Xia Nan concluded that the town was a Secret Realm built from his memories and climbed the ladder, causing the plaza to transform into a sculptor’s workshop.
• Xia Nan’s body moved against his will as he climbed, while time passed in the workshop and a statue resembling a long-headed, antlered creature was completed beneath a cloth.
• Xia Nan reached a dark attic and recognized the carving under the moonlight as a [Ram Deer Figurine].
• A shadowy figure turned toward Xia Nan, overwhelming his consciousness with visions and fragments of forgotten memories before his awareness gradually returned.
• Xia Nan woke in the slums beside the bear bones, saw Charisma and Perception increases and the feat [Gaze into the Abyss] unlock, then gazed at the moon.

After Windstring's resurrection unleashed a mysterious golden-haired Elf who may have been an Evil God, Isidor ordered Newm's streets sealed and civilians evacuated while Cornell prepared to leave. Xia Nan arrived as Cornell and Isidor departed, having gained the Gaze into the Abyss feat after resisting the entity's mental influence.

• Isidor ordered the Sheriff to seal nearby streets, evacuate civilians, maintain order, and contact City Hall while warning him not to confront the golden-haired Elf.
• Isidor healed Cornell, who drank a potion and mourned the losses to his party, equipment, and chances of resurrecting Windstring.
• Isidor and Cornell concluded that the resurrection ritual had gone correctly, but an unknown force had used Windstring's body to descend; Cornell suspected the Goddess had allowed it to happen.
• Isidor concealed that Selune's will had seemed ambiguous and said he would leave the remaining response to colleagues arriving from Deepwater City.
• Cornell decided to leave Newm, and Isidor walked him out of the Church.
• Xia Nan noticed Isidor and Cornell on the street, greeted them, and closed the Attribute Panel showing his new Gaze into the Abyss feat.

Xia Nan learned that a dangerous blond Elf Cultist had attacked the Moon Goddess Church, while Isidor and Cornell realized the Ram Deer Figurines had been spreading a citywide conspiracy that altered people’s perceptions. Xia Nan left without revealing his encounter with the Elf and remained unsure whether he had completed his advancement quest.

• Xia Nan met Isidor and Cornell outside the damaged church, learned that a dangerous blond Elf Cultist had escaped, and concealed his own involvement.
• Cornell recognized Xia Nan from the Adventurers’ Association and remarked on how much his presence as a Professional had changed.
• Isidor connected the Cultist incident to the Ram Deer Figurines, realized they had been influencing Newm City for months, and sent for the Sheriff.
• Cornell teleported away, while Isidor remembered that a Ram Deer Figurine remained in his room and hurried back inside the church.
• Xia Nan returned toward Jeff’s house, decided to keep his experience secret until he understood the incident, and wondered whether his advancement quest counted as complete.

After escaping Newm’s Secret Realm, Xia Nan erased the evidence of his encounter with the blond Elf and discovered how sharply his heightened Perception affected his senses. As he headed back toward River Valley Town, the Elf appeared at a guarded intersection outside Newm and killed the guards.

• Xia Nan destroyed the traces of battle and fed Barker’s skeletal remains to the Sewer’s rat swarm before leaving the Slums.
• Xia Nan realized his Perception had risen to 10 and used jerky to befriend a wary black cat, which rubbed against his leg.
• A distant explosion startled the cat, and Xia Nan ignored the smoke and fire as he continued toward home, hungry and thinking about Mrs. Daisy’s kitchen.
• Outside Newm’s Slums, a squad of guards waited at an intersection while their captain promised to take them drinking after their watch.
• The guards spotted the approaching blond Elf, but he killed them before they could respond, leaving their captain’s bones to clatter to the ground.

Xia Nan read the alarming news about the Moon Goddess Church attack and the recalled Ram Deer Figurine before leaving Newm for River Valley Town. He returned safely and headed to the Adventurers Association to report his mission and learn whether he had earned Professional benefits.

• Xia Nan bought a newspaper and read reports linking forbidden statues to the Moon Goddess Church attack, recognizing the Ram Deer Figurine that had drawn him into the Secret Realm.
• Xia Nan declined Jeff’s invitation to stay longer and warned him to avoid the statues and flee if he saw the blond Elf, then departed Newm by caravan.
• Xia Nan traveled for more than half a month without serious incident and arrived back in River Valley Town.
• Xia Nan considered collecting his spoils, replacing his ruined armor, and checking on the defensive magic item commissioned from Barn.
• Xia Nan reached the Adventurers Association to turn in his promotion mission.

After returning to River Valley Town, Xia Nan reported on his mission and learned that it had only required an investigation, not a dangerous fight. Molly registered him as a Professional and guided him to Association Second Floor, where she began explaining its services and mentioned a points system.

• Molly handled the busy front desk and watched Guards remove an Adventurer who threatened her after his gathering task had been withdrawn.
• Xia Nan spotted a bounty for Windstring, the mixed-blood moon elf he had encountered in Newm, but decided not to pursue it.
• Molly welcomed Xia Nan back and brought him to a meeting room to discuss his mission in Newm.
• Molly explained that Xia Nan’s promotion mission required an investigation report, apologized for the mistaken instructions, and offered to seek a higher reward.
• Molly registered Xia Nan as a Professional and guided him upstairs to Association Second Floor.
• Molly described the facilities and exchange services on the second floor, and Xia Nan asked what points meant.

Xia Nan learned how the Adventurers Association’s professional quests, Points, and quest classifications worked while looking for ways to train his Combat Skills. After asking to exchange Points for Combat Skills, he was given the River Valley Town branch’s Combat Skill Catalog.

• Xia Nan examined the second-floor quest board and asked Molly whether he could still accept first-floor quests so he could fight weaker Monsters and improve his Combat Skill Proficiency.
• Molly explained that professionals could accept unrestricted quests on either floor, and that quest rewards could include Gold Coins or Points, with Points exchangeable for Gold Coins at a one-way, location-dependent rate.
• Xia Nan asked what the official quest numbers meant, and Molly explained that registered quests received difficulty letters from F through S followed by a number.
• Xia Nan noticed that the Spore Druid and Windstring commissions both carried the letter B, then learned that quest difficulty ratings could change when new information about a target emerged.
• Xia Nan asked Molly to show him the Combat Skills available for exchange, and she brought him the Adventurers Association Combat Skill Catalog for the River Valley Town Branch.

Xia Nan learned how the Adventurers Association catalog priced combat skills and how professionals advanced and changed classes. After meeting Kash, he left the Association to digest the information and handle his spoils and equipment before making plans.

• Xia Nan questioned Molly about combat skill prices and learned that costs reflected factors such as training difficulty and practicality, while the Miscellaneous category included skills with uncertain classifications or prerequisites.
• Xia Nan asked whether a Martial Monk could learn Ranger skills, and Kash explained that professionals could learn skills from other classes but trained them inefficiently.
• Kash explained that mastering class-specific combat skills raised Profession Levels, and that the skills mastered determined a professional's Advanced Class when changing classes.
• Kash introduced himself as the captain of the Sea Thorn team, recognized Xia Nan as the Grey Sword, and invited him to work together sometime.
• Xia Nan thanked Molly and left to review what he had learned, deal with his spoils, crystals, and commissioned equipment, and plan his next steps.

Xia Nan learned how Profession Levels and class changes worked, then sold his gemstones at Fairy Wind General Store and tested whether his Charisma bonus improved bargaining. With his mission earnings replenishing his funds, he visited Barn at Rock Hammer, where new Malan Pattern Steel armor and his custom enchanted gear were ready.

• Xia Nan learned that raising his Profession Level required bringing the combat skills associated with his class to Mastery, and he planned to train [Tooth Hunt] while searching for suitable future skills.
• Xia Nan entered Fairy Wind General Store, confirmed the [Ram Deer Figurine] was gone, and heard Falilo explain its price surge and the recall in Newm City.
• Xia Nan sold his gemstones to Falilo for 125 gold after haggling, then wondered whether his Charisma bonus had earned him more than the extra three gold.
• Xia Nan totaled his mission earnings at 214 gold, 3 silver, and 6 copper, bringing his net worth to 526 gold, 7 silver, and 3 copper.
• Xia Nan visited Barn at Rock Hammer, where Barn showed him newly made armor from Malan Pattern Steel and his finished custom enchanted defensive gear.

Xia Nan received and tested the custom Bone Binding Iron Greaves that Barn had forged, finding them comfortable and useful. When Xia Nan revealed an additional balance effect Barn had not noticed, the blacksmith became eager to investigate it and thanked him with a discount.

• Barn presented Xia Nan with the Bone Binding Iron Greaves, a green-grade set made from bone and steel.
• Xia Nan examined the greaves’ durability, chance to stun low-rated beasts, and balance bonus, then tried them on and found they fit well.
• Barn explained that the greaves’ materials gave them strong defense and a deterrent effect against beasts, and offered to test their abilities further.
• Xia Nan told Barn he had sensed an additional effect that steadied him when his balance shifted, and Barn speculated about which materials caused it.
• Barn thanked Xia Nan for the feedback and offered him a thirty percent discount on anything in the Rock Hammer Blacksmith Shop.

Xia Nan learned that Corrosion-Etched Steel could upgrade his Snake Scale Arm Shield into powerful magic equipment, making an Association investigation quest in Thin Mist Forest his next goal. Before setting out, he bought Barn’s Plate Chain Composite Armor and left with a costly but more protective new set of gear.

• Barn explained that Association Points could be exchanged for rare equipment materials and offered to forge future equipment for Xia Nan.
• Xia Nan remembered an investigation quest offering up to 200 grams of Corrosion-Etched Steel and asked Barn whether it would work with his Snake Scale Arm Shield.
• Barn confirmed that 120 grams of Corrosion-Etched Steel could upgrade the shield into equipment stronger than the Bone Binding Iron Greaves, and Xia Nan decided to pursue the quest.
• Xia Nan bought Barn’s Malan Pattern Steel Plate Chain Composite Armor for 255 gold after confirming its protection and flexibility surpassed his previous armor.

Xia Nan returned to the White Tit Tavern troubled by his dwindling savings and the need to recruit a four-person party for a Beastmen investigation quest. He spotted Kash dining with a mysterious Drow and Half-Elf-blooded Professional, and Kash called out to him.

• A tavern adventurer stole two Gold Coins from his drunken acquaintance, then recognized the armored newcomer as Grey Sword when Xia Nan entered.
• Xia Nan weighed his reduced fortune against the need to find three reliable Professionals for the Association quest required to obtain Corrosion-Etched Steel.
• Xia Nan ordered his usual meal from Chapton and noticed Kash sitting with a silver-haired woman whose features suggested Drow and Half-Elf blood.
• Kash spotted Xia Nan and called his name.

Xia Nan agreed to join Kash and Veris’s party for a beast-clearing mission in Thin Mist Forest, securing their promise to investigate Beastmen tracks with him afterward. While he prepared to leave in three days, Kash and Veris revealed that they intended to kill the party’s other newcomer.

• Kash introduced Xia Nan to Veris and explained that they needed another teammate for a bounty commission tied to the beast unrest in Thin Mist Forest.
• Veris described how the Association’s four-person party requirement would let them use the beast-clearing quest to search for their target.
• Xia Nan agreed to join on the condition that the party would later investigate Beastmen tracks with him, and they agreed to divide rewards by contribution.
• Xia Nan returned to his room and prepared equipment and supplies for the party’s departure to Thin Mist Forest in three days.
• Veris warned Kash that Xia Nan seemed more dangerous than he looked, but Kash dismissed her concern and admitted they planned to kill the other newcomer.

Xia Nan and his Sea Thorn teammates hunted in Thin Mist Forest, where Mint's healing and control magic supported the squad. After Xia Nan killed a wild boar and returned to camp, he learned more about Mint and the abilities of his teammates.

• Xia Nan used gravity control and Mint's brambles to trap a wild boar, then killed it with a sword strike to the neck.
• Xia Nan returned to camp with the boar and found Kash butchering a poisoned Jungle Leopard that Veris had fought.
• Kash and Veris argued about how the leopard had been poisoned, while Xia Nan observed Veris's wound healing under Mint's magic.
• Xia Nan recognized Mint as the Sea Thorn squad's Druid-class Spellcaster, whose abilities included healing and control.

Xia Nan kept a wary eye on Mint while the Sea Thorn team rested after a forest battle, and he showed Kash that he could handle himself in the field. As Kash revealed that his profession was Tide Hunter and began explaining its drawbacks, Xia Nan listened with interest.

• Mint healed Veris, and Xia Nan silently maintained his sword while watching the others.
• Veris examined the wild boar Xia Nan had killed and teased him about his skill, but Xia Nan gave her an ambiguous answer.
• Kash collected materials from the beasts and told the team to rest before their nighttime hunt for Temple Night-Stalker Wolves.
• Xia Nan helped Kash butcher the wild boar, impressing him with his practiced work and brushing off questions about why he worked alone.
• Kash revealed that he was a Tide Hunter, a sea-oriented branch of Ranger, and began explaining the profession’s drawbacks.

Xia Nan learned that his niche [Meteor Blade Hunt] class would require a secondary profession before he could become Transcendent, while Sea Thorn Squad prepared to hunt a pack of Temple Night-Stalker Wolves. After hearing the wolves nearby, the squad began its planned nighttime operation and concealed its scent.

• Kash explained that niche classes often had a Level 5 cap, and Xia Nan realized he would need a secondary class to reach Transcendence.
• Xia Nan and Kash cautiously probed each other while preparing the wild boar meat, then the squad ate and discussed Druid attitudes toward nature and meat.
• Veris teased Xia Nan with a suggestive joke, and Xia Nan stayed wary of her in the dark camp.
• A distant, unusual Wolf Howl silenced the group, and Kash ordered everyone to prepare to move out.
• Xia Nan learned that the mission targeted a pack of roughly ten Temple Night-Stalker Wolves, and Kash scattered scent-masking powder over the squad.

Xia Nan and Sea Thorn Squad entered Thin Mist Forest at night to lure the Temple Night-Stalker Wolf pack, but the bait drew no beasts despite their preparations. After Xia Nan gained a sudden burst of [Tooth Hunt] proficiency while hiding in a tree, the squad realized something was wrong and braced for danger as hunter and prey appeared to switch roles.

• Xia Nan followed Sea Thorn Squad through the dark forest, and his Wooden Sword [Green Pine] warned him of a venomous snake before a nearby wolf howl signaled the pack was close.
• Kash set traps and Scent Bait, then led the squad into the trees to hide and wait for the wolves.
• While concealed, Xia Nan entered a still, focused state and gained five proficiency points in [Tooth Hunt].
• The squad waited until late at night without attracting any beasts, then climbed down and began packing up the traps.
• Xia Nan questioned whether the Scent Bait attracted more than wolves, and Kash realized its smell should have drawn something; he raised his spear and warned everyone to stay alert.

Sea Thorn Squad was ambushed by a pack of Temple Night-Stalker Wolves in Thin Mist Forest, and Xia Nan and his companions fought back. As Xia Nan turned to assess the battle, two wolves slipped through the divided formation and lunged at Mint.

• Kash threw Fire Oil Bombs into the forest, revealing a Temple Night-Stalker Wolf and drawing a pack of silver wolves into an attack.
• Mint bound one charging wolf with thorny vines, and Xia Nan killed it with a [Whirlwind Slash].
• Xia Nan's [Bone Binding Iron Greaves] stunned another wolf, allowing him to kill it with a second [Whirlwind Slash].
• Mint helped Kash kill one wolf with a spell and a Stone Spear, while Kash fought two more and Veris struggled against her attackers.
• The wolves split Sea Thorn Squad's formation, and two concealed Night-Stalker Wolves slipped through the gap and lunged at Mint.

Xia Nan saved Mint from two Night-Stalker Wolves and helped the Sea Thorn Squad regroup, but the remaining wolves revealed their Silver Wolf alpha. With retreat too dangerous, Xia Nan faced the alpha and declared they could not run.

• Mint stalled two Night-Stalker Wolves with Vine Thorns while Kash and Veris remained pinned down by their opponents.
• Xia Nan used [Tooth Hunt] to cross the battlefield and kill the two wolves threatening Mint.
• The Night-Stalker Wolves withdrew from Kash and Veris, allowing the squad to regroup around Xia Nan.
• Xia Nan used [Heart's Sight] to detect a hidden Silver Wolf, which emerged as the pack's alpha.
• Xia Nan judged that retreat through the wolf pack's territory was too dangerous and decided the squad had to stand and fight.